Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-4 Sheffield United

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United’s 13 match unbeaten streak was ended by League One leaders Sheffield United at Roots Hall this afternoon.

More...

 

[Sufc.2008]

Beaten by a very good side today, however I don't think we particularly covered ourselves in glory either. Poor tactics combined with half a team of tired players... They're in need of a serious rest, before our league position starts to suffer!

Smith - 6 - Played ok today. Could have possibly done a bit better for two of the goals, but not his fault.


Demetriou - 4 - Been pretty poor the past three games in my opinion. Always the wrong side of his man, and only knows one ball... the diagonal long punt that rarely found a blue shirt.
Timlin - 5 - Not great... His distribution seems to get worse every game.
Ferdinand - 6 - Been a big fan recently. Was very shaky for two 15 minute periods today, but dominant in the remainder of the match.
Thompson - 7- Didn't do a lot wrong... gets better every game.


Leonard - 4 - Looks lethargic. Just looked off the pace for the whole game to me.
Atkinson - 6 - Put a shift in as usual, not his best game but not particularly bad.
Wordsworth - 7 - My pick of the midfield. Trying to impress? Got forward and looked our only threat from midfield.


Cox - 8 - Took his goal well and put a shift in behind the strikers. Personally don't like playing in that position, but he played well.
Fortune - 7 - Looked lively and has a good bit of skill to bring others in play.
Ranger - 5 - Poor today. Looked jaded, and didn't seem to put in much effort. We seem to target his head with every single ball forward... a tactic which won't wash with good teams.


Subs:


McGlashan - 7 - Always looks lively when he comes on. Personally wouldn't start him, as he tends to have less of an effect.
Hines - N/A - Was trying his hardest to impress but he looks very short of fitness... is going to struggle to play a major part anytime soon.

 

[manor15]

First things first, we lost because Sheffield United were by far the superior team and the best we've played this season. They were quality on and off the ball and we just couldn't cope.

Secondly, if ever there was an example of us doing well in spite of Phil Brown rather than because of him it was today. The change of formation left us with absolutely no width and for the first 20 minutes no one quite seemed to know their job. Timlin was exposed and everyone was dragged all over the place. All the positives and opportunities came from Cox and/or Fortune drifting wide and producing something, didn't think Fortune deserved to come off but a change of formation was needed and Ranger should (not that he was) be more useful with crosses put in the box.

Someone really needs to teach Nile Ranger how to defend a set piece and play to the whistle, he just stopped for their second goal to appeal for offside as he watched his man score. At 4-1 we gave up until McGlashan scored and then played probably our 10 best minutes of the second half.

Smith 6 Nothing he could do about any of the goals, possibly could have claimed the first but would be very harsh to say that from my view.
Demetriou 5 Exposed and caught out early on, sloppy pass led to the third goal.
Thompson 7 Covered Ferdinand well and looked calm and composed.
Ferdinand 6 Struggled with their pace and movement at times, but read the game well as always.
Timlin 5 They targeted him and without cover on the left wing he was exposed, first 20 minutes he had rings run round him.
Atkinson 6 Struggled to have the same impact but worked hard.
Leonard 7 Covered well and was doing all the defending of a four man midfield at times.
Wordsworth 6 Struggled with the defensive responsibilities and too often caught in two minds whether to go wide or stay central. Seemed to be limping at the end.
Cox 8 First half he was fantastic and the key in transition between defence and attack every time. Tired second half.
Fortune 8 Chased every ball and full of skill, shame he was taken off and thought we missed that late on.
Ranger 5 Any header he did win went wayward, a few good runs first half but appalling defending at the first two goals and didn't offer anything second half.

Subs
McGlashan 6.5 Very well taken and hard fought goal but poor defensively.
Hines 6.5 Worked hard and tried to create things but moves kept breaking down.

Oh well, at the end of the day a defeat was well overdue and we certainly won't face many, if any, sides better than that this season. For me the change of formation made our job even harder than it needed to be, but sure others will disagree. Onto the next one, play like we played for periods like just after both of our goals today and we will be fine against the likes of Rochdale.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Beaten by a very good side today, however I don't think we particularly covered ourselves in glory either. Poor tactics combined with half a team of tired players... They're in need of a serious rest, before our league position starts to suffer!

Smith - 6 - Played ok today. Could have possibly done a bit better for two of the goals, but not his fault.

Which 2 goals could he have done better with?

First goal Timlin ducked rather than head the ball and the ball is in the net.
Second goal the player drifted in at the back post with nobody marking him and the ball is in the net. Both times the defence gifted Sheff Utd goals

3rd and 4th goals Smith had no chance with

 

[manor15]

BROWN | "The bottom line is four shots on target and four goals and I don't like the sound of that."

Is he trying to scapegoat Ted here? Bang out of order if so, nothing he could do about any of the last three goals at all and the first was far from his fault.

 

[southendkid]

Is he trying to scapegoat Ted here? Bang out of order if so, nothing he could do about any of the last three goals at all and the first was far from his fault.

I didn't get that impression at all, he was saying that stupid defensive errors cost us the match, not that Ted was to blame.

 

[SHRIMPERPETER]

Brown not taking bllame as usual despite hideous formation which we never do any well at and players out of position and no width put us on the backfoot from kick-off!!! We've been playing 4-4-2 on our long unbeaten run and this idiot changes it against the top team!!!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Brown not taking bllame as usual despite hideous formation which we never do any well at and players out of position and no width put us on the backfoot from kick-off!!! We've been playing 4-4-2 on our long unbeaten run and this idiot changes it against the top team!!!

Spot on, can't see why people support Brown so much. Sheff Utd were the last team you tinker with your formation against

 

[southendkid]

Brown not taking bllame as usual despite hideous formation which we never do any well at and players out of position and no width put us on the backfoot from kick-off!!! We've been playing 4-4-2 on our long unbeaten run and this idiot changes it against the top team!!!

He said he got the formation wrong on the radio, that sounds like accepting blame to me. Nice to see after 1 defeat in 14 against the best side in the league we've gone back to moaning.

 

[Sufc.2008]

Which 2 goals could he have done better with?

First goal Timlin ducked rather than head the ball and the ball is in the net.
Second goal the player drifted in at the back post with nobody marking him and the ball is in the net. Both times the defence gifted Sheff Utd goals

3rd and 4th goals Smith had no chance with

Not blaming him at all, but he could have got a little closer. 2nd goal he was on his line, though as you say the marking was non existent. Fourth goal he could have definitely done better for... he collapsed. But again, not his fault.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

Spot on, can't see why people support Brown so much. Sheff Utd were the last team you tinker with your formation against

Oh yeah, why do I support Brown, maybe it's because we're now in League One, rather than Two and holding our own!!!

Yes, he made a mistake with the formation today, but you telling me you've never made a mistake

 

[Chairman Trigg]

Best team we have played this season .After the nightmare 15 minute start we more than competed,but then Ferdinand gave away a soft free kick and the entire defence went to sleep to gift their 2nd goal.
2nd half their speed and ability to get behind our backs really made it one sided along with some tired looking legs and miss placed passes.
Poor performances from Ranger and Demetriou.Best performances from Cox ,Fortune and Thompson.
On a positive at least we kept going in the last 15 mins and didnt give up

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Oh yeah, why do I support Brown, maybe it's because we're now in League One, rather than Two and holding our own!!!

Yes, he made a mistake with the formation today, but you telling me you've never made a mistake

But why do it against the best team in the division? Makes no sense whatsoever

 

[Jay_SUFC]

But why do it against the best team in the division? Makes no sense whatsoever

Because he probably wanted to play Ranger, but not drop Fortune, which I don't agree with, but can understand

 

[TTS]

That spell around our goal was superb ... even with "that" formation ! That Wordy volley goes in at 1-1 and it's a different game.

He "tinkered" because he had to , not sure if anyone noticed , but one of our better players this season is out injured ...

I ain't going to get involved in anti PB / pro PB debate ... what I will say, is that I'm proud of the way we saw the game out, we finished strong, not with a whimper. I felt 1-1 at HT would have been fair. It's our first defeat in 14 games, -against a very strong Sheff Utd team, who knew that they had been in a game today ! Let's see how we react rather than dissect this game too much and not use this game / result as the yard stick.

Get Coker back , positive. I'm not digging Timlin out, because I think you win and lose as a team, but his lack of LB experience was highlighted today.

As I said, some great football for 20 mins in the middle of 1st half, what a goal for Cox. 1 defeat in 14, being against the leaders. We go again next week.

Now, let's have a nice glass of wine with the girlfriend and reflect that we lost to a big team in league 1 and didn't eeek a result in mid table in league 2 ... happiness in life is whatever you want it to be !

UTB's

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

He said he got the formation wrong on the radio, that sounds like accepting blame to me. Nice to see after 1 defeat in 14 against the best side in the league we've gone back to moaning.

Spot on there. Ever get the feeling that a defeat was all that was required to revitalise some on here. A fantastic run has come to a end and by probably by the best team in the division.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Spot on, can't see why people support Brown so much. Sheff Utd were the last team you tinker with your formation against

Here we go, the Brown out posse rears its ugly head again...

Will comment properly on the game later, but for a 20 mins spell either side of our goal we played some great passing football, and we're the better side, their 2nd goal set the scene for the 2nd half SheffU were probably the best side I've seen at RH this season, PB changed the tactics to counter their 3 at the back formation, it didn't come off and he held his hands up to that.Yes we lacked width but we were without McLaughlin and Coker still on another day we could have produced a result.

For me PB is still the man and will prove the doubters wrong over the coming months.

We have lost once in the last 14 and to the team who are 4 points clear at the top, lets not panic and start putting a downer on everything

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

But why do it against the best team in the division? Makes no sense whatsoever

Because if it comes off then we win the game - I'm pretty sure it's not the first time the players have every come across this system. Despite the armchair experts view, I'm still happy to trust Brown's tactics over anyone's expert football knowledge on here.

 

[southendkid]

But why do it against the best team in the division? Makes no sense whatsoever

Because McLaughlin is injured, despite playing the same position McGlashan is not a like for like replacement, he's far less defensive and prefers to use his pace rather than play the passing stuff McLaughlin is capable of, against an attacking team a winger that can't defend is dangerous. Even if you'd stuck with the same formation the dynamic wouldn't be the same, as shown by us conceding goals 3 and 4 after we'd gone back to 4-4-2, our best spell of the game occured when we had the new formation. I'm not convinced either formation was the right choice, against a team of Sheffield United's quality there might not even be a formation that would work.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Because if it comes off then we win the game - I'm pretty sure it's not the first time the players have every come across this system. Despite the armchair experts view, I'm still happy to trust Brown's tactics over anyone's expert football knowledge on here.

He has admitted he got the tactics wrong today